Want to rob a bank?

Good morning Dinks.  We all have one thing in common…money.  Some of us personal finance bloggers blog full time and some of us work full time in a 9 to 5 and use blogging as our side hustle.  Regardless of how often we blog at the end of the day we all do it for the money. Am I right?

Work for your money or take the easy way out?

I work hard for my money because as a child I saw my parents work hard for their money.  My mom spent well over 40 hours a week at the office and my dad had a stable job as well as a few hustles on the side.  I come from a family that says if you want something you have to work for it.

If I wanted to travel I would get a second job to earn and save extra cash.  If I wanted new furniture for my apartment I would save up until I could afford to buy it.  Working for our money is what I was taught to do, but let me ask you a question – if given the opportunity would you take the easy way out and steal money that wasn’t yours?

Could you pull off a bank robbery?

I worked in a bank for over a decade and I was present during five different bank robberies.  Actually I should say attempted bank robberies. All five of the bank robbers were caught.  I can honestly say that I wish I was smart enough to commit a bank robbery, but I just don’t see how it’s possible.  There are timers on vaults and multiple employees in the main safe at any given time.

I always wondered what would make someone want to plan a bank robbery.  As a financial planner and former bank employee there is something so appealing to me about a Wall Street employee gone rogue and turning to bank robbery.  I guess it could happen to anybody if you are pushed to your limits.

My obsession with bank robbery movies and financial crime novels has taught me a few things.

The perfect bank robbery needs…

A really good entrance and exit plan.  A good bank robbery is quick and happens under a couple of minutes.  Get out as soon as possible.  People have to hop on a subway, get on a bus or get into a car and blend into the crowd…after you change your clothes of course.

A quick getaway where you can blend in to the crowd.  Three of the five bank robberies I was involved in were committed at a bank branch on a busy shopping corner in a residential neighbourhood.  If someone wants to rob a bank it has to be very easy to get away.  Bank robbers should look like anyone else on the corner, they shouldn’t speed away because that attracts attention and they shouldn’t cause a ruckus on the street because that makes people look in your direction.

A really big payoff.  The most recent bank robbery I witnessed was the most pathetic get rich quick schemes I have ever heard of.  The woman (yes it was a girl) got away with only $2,000.  In my opinion a couple thousand dollars is definitely not worth several years in jail.

Photo by Colin Brown.